Well drilling tool



July 16, 1935.

L, E. THOMAS 2,008,523

WELL DRILLING TOOL Filed July 17, 1954 v l ,E 1/ 7'0/6 Z0 6/7/l/ 2 0 756.

Patented .luly 16, 1935 i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WELL DRILLING TOOLLogan E. Thomas, Los Angeles, c m. Application July 1934, Serial No.735,546

7 Claims. (Cl. 2551) My invention relates to a well drilling tool andmembers. are threaded as designated by I5, in has for its principalobjects, to generally 1111- order to be engaged by the internal threadthat is prove upon and simplify the construction of the formed onthe-upper portion of a short cylindrical f existing forms of welldrilling tools and to probit or cutting tool Hi. 5 vide a relativelysimple, practical and inexpensive The lower portion of this bit isflared outwardly 5 tool that may be utilized for the comparatively sothat the diameter of its lower portion is an rapid drilling of wellholes and which tool may inch or two greater than the diameter of thetool also be conveniently employed as an underreamer, body formed bymembers In and I l and the lower a baler, a core socket and for cleaningparafline edge-of this bit is sharpened as designated by IT. and otheraccumulations from the inner surfaces Formed integral W e upp inner cors o 10 of well tubes. body member ID, are the lower ends of the legs ofWith the foregoing and other objects in view a wishbone shaped yoke I8and where the tool is my invention consists in certain novel features ofConstructed for hand drilling Operations, t e construction andarrangements of parts that will pp d of t s yo terminates in a ring i obe hereinafter morefully described and claimed the attachment of acableand illustrated in the accompanying drawing in Wh the l isconstructed for p w r lwhich: ing, the upper end of the yoke is providedwith a Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a well drilling threadedstud as illustrated in 5 and tool constructed in accordance with myinvention, Which threaded d s en d by a threaded 20. with parts brokenaway and in ti socket 2| that is formed on the lower end of a 20 Fig. 2is a vertical cross section taken on the drill Tod line 2-2 of Fig. i.Rigidly fixed within the upper portion of body Fig. 3 is a horizontalsection taken on the line m is a disc 23 in the Center of Wh ch is 3-3of Fig. 2. formed an opening 24. The edge of this disc that 25 Fig. 4 isa horizontal section taken on the line projects beyond y member fits s yWith- 25 44 of Fig. 2. in body member II and directly engages the Fig. 5is an elevational view partly in section, Curved inner surface 70f saidmember of a coupling between the upper end of the tool Connected by ahinge 5 to d sc at a m and a drill rod. adjacent to the edge thereof, isa plate 26 to the 30 Referring by numerals, to the accompanyin undersideof which is secured a disc 21 of leather, 0 drawing which illustrates apreferred embodiment rubber analogous material and Which last of. myinvention, In and II designate th body mentioned disc normally occupiesa position on members of the drill, which body members are the upperurface o d s 23 and Closes h p formed of channellike sections of -m t 1half ing 24 therein.

' round in cross section so that when the two memsecured to the centerof i 25, is an y i0 35 bers are arrangedwith their edgesin contact, theWhich is Suitably Connected One end a p body isin the form of a tubedefined along a, cord 29. This cord extends upwardly over a mediallongitudinal plane. pulley 30 that is journaled in the upper portion ofThis tubular body may be of any desired length, yoke I8. I

40 for instance, where the body is constructed to Where my imp v l is er d n a 40 drill a six inch hole, its length should be from Well le, heool is re ipr v r y y five to seven feet. hand or engine power and oneach down stroke,

The upper inner corners of member II re prothe sharp lower edge ll ofthe bit, will cut into vided with ears I2, which overlie the upper innerthe ea formation a d t p io the corners of member ID and passed throughthese earth e pass y t b Will pa upward 45 cars and through member Ill,is a rivet or hinge into the lower portion of the tubular body of thepin l3, which enables member I l to be swung outtool comprisin the Daand l wardly away from member ID. As the reciprocating action continues,the cut- I The vertical edges of members l0 and H are tings from the bitwill pass upward, thereby rabbeted as designated by I! in order toprovide filling the body of the tool and the air above the 50overlapping portions of the bodymembers at the body of cuttings withinthe tool will act autolongitudinal joints between same. matically toopen valve that closes the opening The lower end of member I lterminates a short 24, thereby permitting the trapped air to escape.distance above the lower end of member Ill and When the chamber withinthe body of the tool 5 the external faces of the lower portions of saidis filled or nearly filled with cuttings, which act5 .drawn to thesurface.

tion may be readily noted by the operator, who observes the amount ofcable or drill rod that is lowered into the well, the tool is liftedfrom the well. i

To effect a discharge of cuttings from the tool, the bit I 6 isunscrewed until its upperend is positioned below the lower end of bodymember II and said body member may now be swung outward away from bodymember In so as to enable the contents of the tool to readily discharge.

My improved tool functions as a cord socket by observing the nature ofthe cuttings that accumulate within the body of the tool after the samehas been drawn to the surface of the ground and opened as justdescribed.

When the tool is used as a baler, it is lowered into the well and filledwith mud or slush and thelatter will be held within the tool as the sameis drawn upwardly to the surface of the well, by the vacuum producedwithin the chamber of the tool above the body of mud or slush and thepartition 23, the opening in which is closed by the valve comprising theparts 26 and 21..

When the tool has been drawn to the surface of the ground, it is swunginto position above the mud or slush tank and the valve is opened bypull imparted to cord 29, thereby permitting the contents of the tool todischarge.

For underreaming operations, the tool is lowered through the casing andreciprocated just below the lower end of said casing and the enlargedlower portion of the bit l6 cuts a hole in the ground of sufiicient sizeto permit the casing to be gradually lowered in the hole,

For cleaning parafiine and like accumulations from the inner surface ofa well tube, the tool is gradually lowered into the well and at the sametime reciprocated and the sharp lower edge of the 1 bit will cut andremove the parafiine'or other accumulations and the same may be pickedup from the lower end of the well by the tool and- Where the drill isbeing used in dry formation that will readily pack into the tubular bodyof the drill, the valve that closes opening 24, may be removed ifdesired.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a well drilling tool that isrelatively simple in construction, inexpensive of manufacture and veryeffective in performing the functions for which it is intended.

The tool may be advantageously employed in either wet or dry drillingand the one tool without change or adjustment may be convenientlyemployed as a drill, an underreamer, a baler, a cord socket and forcleaning accumulations from the inner surfaces of well tubes.

It will be understood that minor changes'in' the size, form andconstructions of the various parts of my improved well drilling tool maybe made and substituted for those herein shown and described withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is setforth in the appended claims. i

bers.

I claim as my invention: l. A well drillingtool, comprising a pair ofelongated half round members hinged to each other adjacent their upperends, the lower portions of which members are externally threaded and acutting bit screw seated on the threaded lower portions of said members.

2. A well drilling tool, comprising a pair of elongated channel-shapemembers hinged to each other adjacent their upper ends, the lower end ofone of said members extending a short distance below the lower end ofthe other member, the lower ends of both members being externallythreaded and a cutting member screw-seated on the threaded lower ends ofsaid members.

3. A well drilling tool, comprising a pair of elongated channel-shapedmembers hinged to each other adjacent their upper ends,'the jointsbetween the engaging edges of said edges having overlapping portions anda cutting bit removably seated on the lower ends of said members.

4. A well drilling tool, comprising. a pair of elongated channel-shapedmembers hinged to each other adjacent their upper ends, a cutting bitremovably mounted on the lower ends of said members, a disc secured toone of said members adjacent the hinge between said members, said dischaving an opening and an upwardly opening valve normally closing theopening in said disc.

5. A well drilling tool, comprising a pair of elongated channel-shapedmembers hinged to each other adjacent their upper ends, a cutting bitremovably mounted on the lower ends of said members, a disc secured toone of said members adjacent the hinge between said members, said dis'chavingan opening, an upwardly opening valve normally closing the openingin said disc, a yoke projecting from the upper end of the member inwhich the disc is seated, a pulley journaled in said yoke and a pullcord secured to said valve and passing over said pulley.

6. A well drilling tool, comprising a pair of elongated half roundchannel-shaped members arranged to form an elongated tubular member withthe longitudinal edges of said half round membersbearing against oneanother, a yoke projecting upwardly from the upper comers of one of saidmembers the upper corners of the other member being hinged to the comersof the first mentioned member adjacent the lower ends of the legs ofsaid yoke and a cutting bit removably mounted on the lower ends of saidmembers.

'7. A well drilling tool, comprising a pair of elongated. half roundmembers hinged to each other adjacent their upper ends, a yokeprojecting. upwardly from the upperportion of one of said members, acutting bit removably mounted on the lower ends of said members and anupwardly opening check valve arranged in the upper portion of thechamber between said mem- LOGAN E. THOMAS.

